My friend and fellow author, Kathleen Rodgers, posted an insightful review of The Magical Red Kimono on her blog last night. After receiving and reading her copy of my book, she told me she was going to post a review on her blog (as well as Instagram, Book Bub, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon!) I was grateful of course, but not surprised. Kathleen has always been supportive and motivational to me, as well as many other writers.

What did surprise me, and what made me happy as a writer, was that she “got” the book. In other words, she understood why I wrote the story, and more particularly, why I illustrated the book the way I did–with actual photographs of the internment camp as background:

“About half of the illustrations of Sachi and Jubie show the camp in the background. This aspect of the book lends a sense of realism to the story without having to explain all the implications of the setting.” 

Here’s a bit of insight into writers. We are often an introverted bunch, searching for the often-too-hard-to-find-and-therefore-precious time to spend locked up alone in a room with our stories and characters. (That might be a slight exaggeration, but nonetheless, it describes our desire to JUST WRITE!)

Then, once we get a book published, we must put on different hat, which demands the opposite of that inclination to be alone and write. We must GET OUT THERE (yes, I’m yelling now) and publicize (AKA brag about) our books.

It can be an uncomfortable thing to do, at least for me. I don’t like to over-publicize. I don’t like to ask for reviews. I just want people to read my stories and “get” (understand) them.

Just this morning, my husband and I were talking about this very thing–about how challenging it can be for an author to go from writing to marketing. Not only is it a conflicting personality trait, but marketing takes up so much of the time that I’d rather spend writing.

Like a child who doesn’t want to do her homework, I said, “I wish I didn’t have to spend so much time marketing.” Then, in reply to my own complaint, I said, “But what’s the use of publishing a book if I don’t try to get it read?”

And therein lies a writer’s dilemma.

Then comes along someone like Kathleen, who, with a review like the one she wrote, helps me to market — ie, get news of my book out there. I’m grateful for authors like her who support other authors, because I know that takes up her writing time. (I know, because I could do better!)

And yet, she is a prolific and persistent writer. Her FIFTH novel, The Llano County Mermaid Club, will be released by University of New Mexico Press in September 2025.

I believe she has had three novels published in the time it’s taken me to continue working on my sequel to The Red Kimono. (But I’m almost finished . . . except for the aforementioned writer’s dilemma . . . marketing The Magical Red Kimono!)

So, I’m all the more appreciative of the time Kathleen took to write her review and share it. Most of all, she “got” The Magical Red Kimono. As an author, that means the world to me.

Click HERE for a previous conversation between Kathleen and me.

Click HERE to visit Kathleen’s website.